Improvement in alley-boards for ball-games



CHARLES ROBINSON, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 107,545,1la`ted September 20, 1870.

IMPROVB'MENT IN ALLEY-BOARDS Fon BALL-GAMES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES ROBINSON, of- Boston, in the county' of Suiolk and State of Massachusetts, have inventada newand improved Alley-Board or Table, for a Balllor Marble-Game, including also the mode of .playing'the.game; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof', reference being had to the aceompa'n yin gdrawing making part of this specification- Figure 1 being a top view of the alley-board ortable. l

, Figure. 2, a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

Like letters designate corresponding parts .in both of the figures. n

The nature of my invention consists in the inclined end of the alleyvboard or tableffor giving the initial .velocity to the d1iving-balls, and in the formation and arrangement of a compartment or pocket at. the rear end of the alley-board or table, to receive and. retain the balls driven therein, substantially as herein set forth;` v

The main part A of the alley-board or table is situated horizontally, and has low side and rear end ledges a a a toretain the balls upon it. It may have any desired dimensions, say, about four' feet long byA eigl'it inches wide, the proportionsbeing somewhat dilferent from those convenient for representation in the drawing. It may be covered with billiard-cloth, it' desired.

At the rear end of the main portion, is a division or compartment, B, separated from the main part by a low bar, b, inclined on` thefront or upper surface, and abrupt on the rear edgeas shown, so that aball will easily roll back over it into the division B, (which may be, called a pocket,) but will not so readily roll forward out of the pocket.

At the frontend ofthe alleyaboard or table is an inclined portion, C, supported by legs c c, or equivaient means, and the end adjacent .to the main'. porof this portion should he suticient to give the required velocit-y and force to the motion of the driv-V ing-balls by simplyA placing them at the highest part,

,as shown at f, and lotting'them roll down the inclined plane.` v Y The alley-hoard or table thus constructed may be used in dilierentways, with balls or balls and pins; but

the gamewhich I propose most commonly to play with it is by means of tive small balls, g g, placed. regularly in slight hollows or sockets, h h, Eg. 1, near the pocketbar b, and with three larger balls to be rolled successe ively down the inclined portion of the.board', directed. ,as accurately as possible, the object being to'pocket all t-he small balls thereby.4

Each of the pocket-balls may count 20, and thewhole score, at each turn', 100. It' any of the balls are knocked out of their sockets, and-not pocketedl after the first and second driving-balls, they may be replaced iu any of the vacant sockets before rolling the succeeding ball orballs. Or pins, six, ten, or other number may be set on the alley-board or table, as over the nails or `spots l l, tig. 1, and be knocked down by the rolling'balls, in the manner of bowling alleys. l

What I claim as my invention, and desire tol se cure byLetters Patent, is-

The alley-board herein described, composed. of the horizontal part A, pocket B, with its inclined har b, andthe inclined part C, with the support c, or its equivalent, arranged' to operate substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

Specification signed by me 'April 18, 1870.

f CHARLES ROBINSON. Witnesses i CHAs. EDMUNDs,

S. 0. DEARBORN. 

